pbs Digest, Vol 31, Issue 13 Dogpile and further on pokeweed

Thanks for the comment on glacial boundaries and the implications. Re
pokeweed , Phytolacca american, etc. For those of you who do not use if, I
strongly suggest http://www.dogpile.com/ as your major search engine, because it
incorporates Google. Just using pokeweed as the search term brought up 73
references, most very relevant but particularly noting one, theuse of
pokeweed as a killer of sperm (human) and its teratogenic capabilities which
need to be emphasized for any women likely to clear the stuff with their
bare hands. The 73 references include the experimental data on its use
against HIV, in vitro and in infected chimpanzees, how to cook it if you're
inclined to try eating it, homeopathic uses, synonyms for it, its generally
toxic qualities for horses and cattle (bloody diarrhea and occasional
death), relative toxicity of various parts of the plant, etc.
I use Dogpile for everything, first-- asmy preferred metasearch engine, and
it can get you a picture of almost anything. I typed in Placea arzae and it
came up with a picture taken by Osmani Baullosa. Try it-- you'll like it.
----- Original Message -----
From: <pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org>
To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, August 15, 2005 11:00 AM
Subject: pbs Digest, Vol 31, Issue 13
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> Today's Topics:
>
> 1. Re: offtopic: poisonous weeds (hornig@usadatanet.net)
> 2. Re: offtopic: poisonous weeds (Alberto Castillo)
> 3. Re: Back to Lycoris squamigera and Hymenocallis occidentalis
> (Carol Jensen)
> 4. Re: offtopic: poisonous weeds (Carol Jensen)
> 5. Re: offtopic: poisonous weeds (Carol Jensen)
> 6. Tigridias (Rogan Roth)
> 7. Re: Amazing Pokeweed (Blee811@aol.com)
> 8. Re: Amazing Pokeweed (Merrill Jensen)
> 9. Re: Amazing Pokeweed (Alberto Castillo)
> 10. Bob's ingenuity (Alberto Castillo)
> 11. Re: Amazing Pokeweed (Jim McKenney)
> 12. Re: Amazing Pokeweed (Blee811@aol.com)
> 13. Re: Amazing Pokeweed (Graham Rice)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 17:08:12 -0400
> From: "hornig@usadatanet.net" <hornig@usadatanet.net>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] offtopic: poisonous weeds
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <380-22005801421812370@M2W060.mail2web.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> I have to say that I've handled a lot of (variegated, not green) pokeweed,
> and never had any problems with it. However, not everyone reacts the same
> way to all plants (poison ivy being an obvious example). If I may add to
> the off-topicness of the discussion, one of my workers "discovered" the
> hard way this summer that seedlings of Telekia speciosa exude an oil that
> produces a strong burning sensation when wiped across the upper lip on a
> hot day...in the interests of science I did what she had done (crush some
> in my fingers, then wipe the fingers over the upper lip), and it did burn!
> And despite repeated scrubbing with soap, it didn't stop for about ten
> minutes - but then it did stop, and no dermatitis followed in either of
> us.
> You never know what will get you, do you?
>
> Ellen Hornig
> Oswego NY USA
> Zone 5
>
> Original Message:
> -----------------
> Wrom: JSNBOHMKHJYFMYXOEAI
> Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 16:04:32 EDT
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Subject: Re: [pbs] offtopic: poisonous weeds
>
>
> In a message dated 8/14/05 12:01:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
> pbs-request@lists.ibiblio.org writes:
> In a few weeks my car will be painted pokeweed red courtesy of the birds.
> LOL.
>
> Dennis in Cincinnati where the pokeweed grows thick!
> A word of warning regarding Pokeweed, Phytolacca americana. It's common
> here
> too. Few people realize that the juice from broken stem/leaves on the
> Pokeweed can deliver a skin dermatitis reaction much more virulent than
> poison ivy.
> I learned the hard way.
>
> http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H171.htm
> http://ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/…
>
> Another common weed can also cause terrible dermatitis, is well known as a
> poisonous plant (to ingest), but I had little idea just how potent a
> dermatitis
> reaction the plant was capable of (from the sap of the plant). The plant
> is
> Solanum dulcamara, with the best known common name of bitterweet
> nightshade,
> but also called woody nightshade, climbing nightshade, and deadly
> nighshade
> (the "deadly nightshade" in Europe is a different plant). This plant is an
> Asian
> invader that is very common throughout much of the USA.
>
> http://unh.edu/herbarium/Poisonous/…
> http://ibiblio.org/herbmed/pictures/…
>
> I was clearing an overgrown area, where there was indeed some poison ivy.
> Having received small outbreaks of poison ivy for half a century, I know
> how
> poison ivy affects me, and invariably, even while being careful not to
> touch it,
> I get a few patches of dermitis... typically small hard blistering bumps
> that
> are very itchy. But I wasn't paying attention to the large amount of
> Pokeweed
> and Bitterweet Nightshade in the area, even knowing their latin names and
> knowing they're poisonous to ingest. I didn't give the dermatitis view
> much
> consideration, aside from the poison ivy. I was wearing gloves. I ended
> up with a
> horrific skin reaction over a large area of one arm, blisters several 3-6
> cm
> across, about 1 - 1.5 cm tall, filled with liquid. It looked like a 3rd
> degree burn, and required 2-1/2 weeks of constant triple-layers of gauze
> bandaging
> from wrist to elbow, changed and treated 5-6 times a day. Now I have
> infinite
> respect for these two common weeds... but wish I knew which of the two was
> truely responsible, or perhaps it was an aggregate effect from both.
>
> Mark McDonough Pepperell, Massachusetts, United States
> antennaria@aol.com "New England" USDA Zone 5
> ==============================================
>>> web site under construction - http://www.plantbuzz.com/ <<
> alliums, bulbs, penstemons, hardy hibiscus, western
> american alpines, iris, plants of all types!
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>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> Date: Sun, 14 Aug 2005 22:21:54 +0000
> From: "Alberto Castillo" <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] offtopic: poisonous weeds
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <BAY20-F136A4D0D0C4046A6ECA29FAEBE0@phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Dear all:
> Phytolacca americana is not grown in most of Botanic gardens
> because years ago it was discovered that is capable of carrying most
> viruses
> that affect garden plants WITHOUT SHOWING SYMPTOMS.
> All the best
> Alberto
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> MSN Amor: busca tu ? naranja http://latam.msn.com/amor/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 04:45:18 +0200
> From: Carol Jensen <jorna@mobilixnet.dk>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Back to Lycoris squamigera and Hymenocallis
> occidentalis
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>,
> <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <6.0.1.1.0.20050815044247.01edfb10@mail.mobilixnet.dk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> At 21:14 14-08-2005, Adam Fikso wrote:
>>I believe
>>that it could have survived in the Chicago area prior to the arrival of
>>farms, because the leading edge of the glacierat the last ice edge was
>>about
>>20 miles north of here.
>
>
> I don't think any of US could have lived and survived just 20 miles south
> of the glacier during the last ice age.
>
> There was a part of southern west Jutland in Denmark which was not covered
> with ice, but it was a tundra-like swampy place and no one lived there at
> that time, as far as anyone knows. Much too cold. The ice was HIGH!
>
> Carol
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 4
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 04:48:24 +0200
> From: Carol Jensen <jorna@mobilixnet.dk>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] offtopic: poisonous weeds
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>,
> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <6.0.1.1.0.20050815044713.01f6c778@mail.mobilixnet.dk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> At 22:04 14-08-2005, Antennaria@aol.com wrote:
>>I learned the hard way.
>
> I am allergic to a couple of things, but apparently not pokeweed. Mosquito
> bites are about the worst thing for me and itch for months!
>
> Carol
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 04:54:44 +0200
> From: Carol Jensen <jorna@mobilixnet.dk>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] offtopic: poisonous weeds
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>,
> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <6.0.1.1.0.20050815045316.01f82e10@mail.mobilixnet.dk>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> At 00:21 15-08-2005, Alberto Castillo wrote:
>>Dear all:
>> Phytolacca americana is not grown in most of Botanic gardens
>>because years ago it was discovered that is capable of carrying most
>>viruses
>>that affect garden plants WITHOUT SHOWING SYMPTOMS.
>>All the best
>>Alberto
>
> Thanks for the warning, Alberto. My huge pokeweed sits between two compost
> heaps, about as far from the fruit and berries and vegetables as it can
> get in my backyard. So far, no viruses (noticed.)
>
> Carol
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 6
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 08:10:37 +0200
> From: "Rogan Roth" <Roth@ukzn.ac.za>
> Subject: [pbs] Tigridias
> To: <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <s3004e00.024@smtp.unp.ac.za>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
>
> Jim McKenney said:
>>>>When I was younger, I used to poke fun at those who called these
> tiger flowers: after all, tigers are striped, not spotted. Put that down
> toethnocentricity. Later I learned that the jaguar is sometimes called
> El Tigre in Spanish, and that was perhaps the source of the botanical
> name.<<<
>
> I do so love Tigridias - they were the first bulbs I planted when I was
> six or so years old. They are still my favorite to this day.
>
> In South Africa we also have a tiger, a "tier" in Afrikaans, except
> it's not a tiger (from Asia), but a leopard! So, Jim you are quite
> correct, they are Leopard Lilies (at least to us here in the south...).
>
> Regards to all
> Rogan Roth.
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> Please find our disclaimer at http://www.ukzn.ac.za/disclaimer/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
> <<<<gwavasig>>>>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 7
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 10:24:01 EDT
> From: Blee811@aol.com
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Amazing Pokeweed
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <8e.2d6ef424.3031ff81@aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
> In a message dated 8/14/2005 10:55:18 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> jorna@mobilixnet.dk writes:
>> Phytolacca americana is not grown in most of Botanic gardens
>>because years ago it was discovered that is capable of carrying most
> viruses
>>that affect garden plants WITHOUT SHOWING SYMPTOMS.
>
> ===>I didn't know this and Alberto's posting prompted me to look a little
> further into pokeweed. I found one abstract, quoted below, that indicates
> pokeweed may also be helpful in HIV cases. It appears to be a most complex
> plant.
>
> Bill Lee
>
> The Biotherapy and Drug Discovery Program, Parker Hughes Cancer Center,
> 2699
> Patton Road, St. Paul, MN 55113, USA.
>
> Pokeweed antiviral protein III (PAP-III), a naturally occurring protein
> isolated from late summer leaves of the pokeweed plant (Phytolacca
> americana),
> has potent anti-HIV activity by an as yet undetermined molecular
> mechanism.
> PAP-III belongs to a family of ribosome-inactivating proteins that
> catalytically
> deadenylate ribosomal and viral RNA. The chemical modification of PAP-III
> by
> reductive methylation of its lysine residues significantly improved the
> crystal quality for X-ray diffraction studies. Trigonal crystals of the
> modified
> PAP-III, with unit cell parameters a=b=80.47A, c=76.21A, were obtained
> using
> 30% PEG400 as the precipitant. These crystals contained one enzyme
> molecule
> per asymmetric unit and diffracted up to 1.5A, when exposed to a
> synchrotron
> source. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure of PAP-III at 1.6A
> resolution, which was solved by molecular replacement using the homology
> model of
> PAP-III as a search model. The fold typical of other
> ribosome-inactivating
> proteins is conserved, despite several differences on the surface and in
> the loop
> regions. Residues Tyr(69), Tyr(117), Glu(172), and Arg(175) are expected
> to
> define the active site of PAP-III. Molecular modeling studies of the
> interactions of PAP-III and PAP-I with a single-stranded RNA heptamer
> predicted a more
> potent anti-HIV activity for PAP-III due to its unique surface topology
> and
> more favorable charge distribution in its 20A-long RNA binding active
> center
> cleft. In accordance with the predictions of the modeling studies,
> PAP-III
> was more potent than PAP-I in depurinating HIV-1 RNA.
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 07:52:38 -0700
> From: "Merrill Jensen" <merrill@gamblegarden.org>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Amazing Pokeweed
> To: "'Pacific Bulb Society'" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID:
> <20050815145244.E692932C018@smtpauth01.csee.siteprotect.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
>
> Some other plants that I have personally had problems in the past with
> contact dermatitis are Trachelospermum jasminoides and Euphorbia characias
> wulfenii. Most published information on Euphorbia states that the sap can
> be irritating, but I had never had a problem with any of the assorted
> species until I started growing E. characias. Man oh man did I break
> out!!
> I also found out, quite by accident, that star jasmine has the same
> effect.
> (Trachelospermum has milky sap as well) I had brushed through a patch at
> work and that evening had long welts forming on my legs where the vines
> had
> touched me.
>
> Thanks for the word on pokeweed. We just removed a large bird deposited
> specimen. Fortunately, the folks who took it out had on long sleeves and
> pants...
>
> Merrill in Palo Alto, zone 9-10 where Amaryllis belladonna is blooming
> everywhere..
> _______________________________________________
> pbs mailing list
> pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 9
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 15:17:51 +0000
> From: "Alberto Castillo" <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Amazing Pokeweed
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <BAY20-F112771FF9F2C89F8E1A12FAEB10@phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Hi Merrill:
> When removing pokeweeds be certain to use gloves that could be
> discarded afterwards, even a piece of newspaper could do. But, do not
> remove
> it with bare hands and NEVER touch any plants afterwards if so.
> As a rule of thumb, plants with milky sap are better treated
> with caution (Asclepiadaceae, Apocynaceae, Euphorbiaceae, etc.)
> Best
> Alberto
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> Consigue aqu? las mejores y mas recientes ofertas de trabajo en Am?rica
> Latina y USA: http://latam.msn.com/empleos/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 10
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 15:26:12 +0000
> From: "Alberto Castillo" <ezeizabotgard@hotmail.com>
> Subject: [pbs] Bob's ingenuity
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <BAY20-F1283D6A8836FB7F2B46660AEB10@phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> Dear all:
> Mary Sue in her recent posting mentioned the conversion of her
> raised beds. As mentioned before, there is a detailed account in IBSA
> Bulletin. Labelling bulbs is a major issue in that cats, dogs and birds of
> sorts are permanent problems. Bob's added several features to avoid the
> problem of lost or broken labels and his solution of plunging double pots
> with a "V" notch is very smart. These imporvements are great steps forward
> to let us handle huge collections a lot more easily.
> Regards
> Alberto
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> MSN Amor: busca tu ? naranja http://latam.msn.com/amor/
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 11
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:33:04 -0400
> From: "Jim McKenney" <jimmckenney@starpower.net>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Amazing Pokeweed
> To: "'Pacific Bulb Society'" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <4aju05$235jdj@smtp04.mrf.mail.rcn.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> The demonization of pokeweed!
>
> I've been pulling pokeweed all week: I had no idea it can cause rashes in
> some people. I've never had a problem with it.
>
> When I was a kid, we used to make a real mess playing with the fruits.
> There
> was the widespread belief that it was poisonous if ingested, but no one
> thought twice about touching it.
>
> My crayon box had a color, Indian Lake: isn't there a connection between
> that and pokeweed? We used to use the juice from the ripe fruit as ink
> when
> we were playing. And I suppose we painted ourselves "Indian style" with
> the
> juice of the fruit.
>
> I have a friend who used to invite friends in each spring to try his
> boiled
> pokeweed. There are those who say it's as good as asparagus.
>
> Jim McKenney
> Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where a good insult to a
> gardener is "he couldn't grow a decent pokeweed".
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 12
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:47:07 EDT
> From: Blee811@aol.com
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Amazing Pokeweed
> To: pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
> Message-ID: <a9.798b1d68.303212fb@aol.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
>
>
> In a message dated 8/15/2005 11:33:17 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> jimmckenney@starpower.net writes:
>
> I have a friend who used to invite friends in each spring to try his
> boiled
> pokeweed. There are those who say it's as good as asparagus.
>
>
> The site I read said it needed to be boiled twice before it can be safely
> eaten.
> Jim's remarks about his childhood and pokeweed reminded me that we used to
> gather the berries in a jar and let them make "ink" too. I always have
> some
> pokeweed coming up here someplace or another. It can be a rather handsome
> plant.
> Bill Lee
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 13
> Date: Mon, 15 Aug 2005 11:55:55 -0400
> From: Graham Rice <garden@tiscali.co.uk>
> Subject: Re: [pbs] Amazing Pokeweed
> To: Pacific Bulb Society <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org>
> Message-ID: <p0623090fbf266a399a05@[204.186.36.139]>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" ; format="flowed"
>
> I've heard it said that the berries were used by native Americans as
> a fish poison... can anyone confirm that?
>
> Also, does anyone know to what extent the rather startling variegated
> form, 'Silberstein', comes true from seed? A few weeks ago I found
> another variegated form, with cream sectorial variegation, rather
> than the speckling of 'Silberstein'. It remains to be seen if its
> proves stable...
>
> I think this may be my first posting on this list, although I've been
> following the fascinating exchanges for some time. I'm a British
> garden writer now spending much of my time in PA.
>
> Graham Rice
> PA zone 5/6
> GrahamRice.com
>
>>
>>In a message dated 8/15/2005 11:33:17 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,
>>jimmckenney@starpower.net writes:
>>
>>I have a friend who used to invite friends in each spring to try his
>>boiled
>>pokeweed. There are those who say it's as good as asparagus.
>>
>>
>>The site I read said it needed to be boiled twice before it can be safely
>>eaten.
>>Jim's remarks about his childhood and pokeweed reminded me that we used to
>>gather the berries in a jar and let them make "ink" too. I always have
>>some
>>pokeweed coming up here someplace or another. It can be a rather handsome
>>plant.
>>Bill Lee
>>_______________________________________________
>>pbs mailing list
>>pbs@lists.ibiblio.org
>>http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
>
> End of pbs Digest, Vol 31, Issue 13
> ***********************************